Can sleeves



R. GUYER CAN SLEEVES May 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1955INVENTOR w .w m W& W A 62% s 0 W a. AM. Y

May 26, 1959 R. GUYER 2,888,135

' CAN SLEEVES v Filed Jan. 51, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I INVENTORReyna/d5 Gayer' ATTORNEY United States Patent CAN SLEEVES ReynoldsGuyer, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company,Ramsey County, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application January 31,1955, Serial No. 485,244

7 Claims. (Cl. 20665) This invention relates to an improvement in cancarriers and deals particularly with an improvement in the type of cancarrier in which the cans are held in place in a sleeve of paperboard bytabs or flaps which engage into the recessed ends of the cans andagainst the chimes of the cans to prevent accidental-removal of thecans.

During the past few years many millions of can carriers have beenproduced which comprise a single sleeve or a double sleeve of paperboardof a size to encircle the bodies of the cans. These sleeves are normallyshorter in length than the plurality of cans supported so that the endsof the last cans of the series project from the sleeve. Flaps areprovided which are folded inwardly from two opposite panels of thesleeve which enter the recessed ends of the cans and engage against thecan chimes to hold the cans from sliding from the sleeve.

While such carriers have been found entirely practical and useful, theymust ordinarily be constructed of relatively stiff paperboard so thatthe flaps or tabs will be strong enough to retain the cans in thesleeve. As a result, the cost of such carriers are considerably greaterthan if the sleeves can be formed of lighter or flimsier board. Anobject of the present invention lies in the provision of a sleeve of thetype described formed of light weight paperboard but having tabs orflaps of increased thickness. Asa result, the portion of the carrierwhich must be strong and stiff possesses the necessary qualities whileat the same time the cost of the paperboard forming the sleeve ismaterially reduced.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a can sleevedesigned to encircle a series of cans and having a pair of flaps on atleast one panel of the sleeve designed to fold inwardly to overlie therecessed ends of the end cans of a plurality of aligned cans. These tabsare of double thickness so as to provide strength and rigidity.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of acan sleeve having a pair of flaps of the type described above formed oftwo thicknesses, the two thicknesses being produced by folding portionsof the material upon the tabs to produce two thicknesses of paperboardadhered together over a substantial portion of the tab area. A furtherfeature of the present invention lies in the provision of tabspreferably formed by connecting the end of each tab to a foldablereinforcing portion along a line of fold. By folding and adhering thereinforcing portion to the surfaces of the tabs, a tab is provided whichis substantially more than double the strength of a single thickness tabdue to the rigidity produced by connecting the two parts by adhesive.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be moreclearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can carrier showing the newconstruction.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the sleeve isformed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through a series of cans in place in thesleeve.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the can carrier.

The can sleeve A is formed as best illustrated in the drawings forholding a series of cans B. While in the particular arrangementillustrated the sleeve is constructed to hold three cans in alignment,it is obvious that any desired number Within practical limits may beenclosed and connected from two cans to a considerable number, dependingupon their weight and size. Furthermore, while in the particularconstruction described, a single sleeve is illustrated, it should beunderstood that a double sleeve arrangement including two or moreparallel rows of cans could similarly be employed, the

purpose of the construction illustrated being to disclose the manner offorming the tabs.

In the construction shown the can sleeve includes a side wall panel 10,a top wall panel 11, a side wall panel 12 and a bottom wall panel 13,connected in series by parallel fold lines 14, 15 and 16. A glue flap17is connected to the bottom panel 13 along a fold line 19 and this glueflap 17 overlaps the panel 10 and is adhered I thereto. The descriptionof the panels 11 and 13 as top and bottom panels, respectively, is onlyto simplify the explanation as any of the panels might be uppermost inactual practice.

A pair oftabs 20 and 21 are connected to opposite ends of the top panel11 along parallel fold lines 22 and 23, respectively. These fold lines22 and 23 might be in line with the edges of the panels 10 and 12 if itis desired that one-half the body of the end cans B. of the seriesproject from the sleeve. It is usually preferable to oifset the foldlines 22 and 23 inwardly so that the sleeve extends slightly past thecenter point of the end cans.

The tabs 20 and 21 usually include parallel side edges 24 and 25 and apartially arcuate outer edge 26 which is shaped to follow the contour ofthe recessed end of a can B. Foldably connected along a chord of thearcuate edge 26 is a reinforcing tab 27 which is also provided with apartially arcuate edge 29. The fold, line 30 is parallel to the foldline 22 so that when the rein forcing flap 27 is folded onto the tab 20,and is adhered thereto, a tab of double thickness is provided.

The tab 21 is shaped similarly to the tab 20 and is connected along afold line 31 to a reinforcing tab 32 which, when folded onto the tab 21,is substantially coextensive therewith. Obviously the reinforcing tabsdo not have to cover the entire areas of the tabs to which they aresecured if less reinforcing is necessary.

The bottom panel 13 is also usually connected along parallel fold lines33 and 34 to flaps 35 and 36, respectively. The fold lines 33 and 34 areusually aligned with the fold lines 22 and 23 when the blank is flat.The tab 35 is connected along a fold line 37 to a reinforcing flap 39while the flap 36 is similarly connected along a parallel fold line 41with a reinforcing flap 42.

In formation, the flat blank illustrated in Figure 2 is moved through agluer and the reinforcing tabs are folded and adhered to the tabs towhich they are connected. The blank is then usually moved at rightangles or fed through a second gluing machine and folded along the foldlines 16 and 14 and the flap 17 is adhered to the panel 10 to form atubular structure.

In use, the sleeve thus formed is opened into rectangular shape and thetabs 20, 21, 35 and 36 are folded inwardly to lie adjacent the panels 11and 13, respectively, to which they are attached. The cans are insertedinto the sleeve, the tabs engaging the chimes 43 of the cans B which arethe outermost cans of the series. The natural tendency for the tabs tofold back into their original flat condition causes the tabs to lieagainst the recessed ends 44 of the cans and to remain in thisengagement. The reinforcing flaps are normally folded between themainflaps or tabs and the panels to which they are hinged, thusincreasing the tendency for the tabs to engage against the can ends.

Can sleeves made in the manner described may dovetail together when outfrom a sheet. However, if no dovetailing of the individual blanks isdesired, reinforcing flanges may be provided at each end of the blank,as shown in Figures 2 and 4. When these flanges are folded inwardly fromthe ends of the sleeve, the sleeve is correspondingly reinforced.

The side wall panel is connected along its end edges by fold lines 45and 46 to reinforcing flanges 47 and 49, respectively. The panel 12 isconnected along the fold lines 50 and 51 to reinforcing flanges 52 and53, respectively. These flanges 47, 49, 52 and 53 may fold inwardly andbe adhered to the walls to which they are connected, or may be free andunadhered if preferred.

In the particular construction illustrated, the sleeve is designed tohold cans having two opposite recessed ends. In structures for holdingcrown top cans, the upper panel may be provided with openings or othermeans of holding the upper ends of the cans in place and only the lowerpanel need be equipped with reinforced tabs.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my can carrier, and while I haveendeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of thefollowing claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A can sleeve in combination with a plurality of aligned cans, thesleeve including two opposed panels overlying the ends of the cans andtwo wall panels connecting the edges of the first named panels, one of:the panels arranged to overlie the ends of the can having tabs foldablyconnected at opposite ends of the sleeve to said one panel, said tabsincluding marginal portions of two thicknesses adhered together.

2. The construction described in claim 1 and in which the twothicknesses forming the tabs are foldably connected.

3. A can sleeve in combination with a series of aligned cans having atleast one recessed end, the sleeve including a first panel designed tooverlie the recessed ends of the cans, an opposite panel and twoconnecting wall panels connecting :the edges of the said one panel andopposite panel, tabs at opposite ends of said one panel along parallelfold lines, reinforcing tabs foldably connected to the ends of the tabsalong parallel fold lines, said reinforcing tabs being adhered insurface contact with said first named tabs.

4. The construction described in claim 3 and in which said tabs includea partially arcuate outer edge.

5. The construction described in claim 3 and in which said oppositepanel includes similar tabs connected to the ends thereof along parallelfold lines, and said similar tabs including reinforcing tabs adhered insurface contact therewith.

6. The construction described in claim 3 and including reinforcingflanges hingedly secured to. the end edges of said connecting wallpanels.

7. A paperboard blank for forming a can sleeve, the blank including fourwall panels foldably connected along parallel fold lines, the first andthird wall panels having first tabs hingedly connected to the endsthereof along fold lines at right angles to the fold lines connectingsaid wall panels, and similar second tabs foldably connected to the endsof the first tabs, the tabs being contiguous when folded intosuperimposed relation, the connected ends of said tabs being arcuate onopposite sides of the connecting fold line, and flanges hingedlyconnected to the second and fourth wall panels along parallel fold lineswhich are at right angles to the fold lines connecting said panels, theends of said second tabs being substantially aligned with the ends ofsaid flanges in unfolded condition of said blank, the lines of foldconnecting said first tabs to their wall panels being closer togetherthan the fold lines connecting said flanges to their wall panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,432,481 Lyons Dec. 9, 1947 2,554,190 Hennessey May 22, 1951 2,571,833Chidsey Oct. 16, 1951 2,678,767 Toensmeier May 18, 1954 2,713,451Williamson et al July 19, 1955 2,738,055 Shanahan Mar. 13, 1956

